Fellow track junkies, I've searched for this answer on this board, but have come up short. A little background first:

I have a bit of formal training in formula cars and have tracked numerous cars including an aggressively setup supercharged Miata for years.

I'm looking at "having fun" in NASA's TT division with a daily driven S2000. I would like to run an aggressive tire (R6, 710, etc) at events but do not want to compromise the ride quality of the stock suspension (Pads/Fluid/wheels are an easy swap for the track, suspensions are not).

My previous S2000 saw a few track days (for fun) on high-performance street rubber with stock suspension. While a very balanced suspension, as with any non-dedicated car, stability was a compromise.

Aggressive rubber of this caliber would, at the least, exaggerate body motions, but is it even a feasible choice with that much grip?

From what I've searched the only coil-over that "might" be a tolerable DD/track choice would be the H&R coil-over setup? Too soft for true competitive use, but could it better handle that much tire and still be acceptable as a DD?

I appreciate your comments.

 

I suggest you refine your search techniques. This has been asked dozens of times, including just three days ago.

If keeping the car streetable is a concern, I'd say just throw the R-compounds on and drive it that way. That's what I did for a year and a half (RA1s, stock sizes).

 

Let me clarify. What i have not been able to find (perhaps I've missed it searching) is a 30 or 40 treadwear tire (i.e. Kumho 710's or Hoosiers) on the stock suspension. While RA1's are a substantial improvement over street rubber, they're 2-3 seconds off of a more grippy compound.

So, to refine the question:

Is a grippier R tire a feasible choice for the stock suspension? Or are they a waste without a well-setup coil-over suspension?

By feasible i mean:
Do exaggerated body motions make the car: extremely difficult to place at corner entry/max out the travel mid-corner/create untolerable dive under braking?

By waste i mean:
The stock suspension fits a harder compound much better (RA1).

Thanks in advance. I appreciate your experience!

 

ra1s are not 2-3 seconds slower.

and no you'll be fine on the stock wheels. Yes there will be more roll than a higher spring rate but you'll learn to drive with it.

You'll be fine.

 

I have tracked my car multiple times on the stock suspension and 710s, and while I do feel the car moving around, never felt it was excessive. I do have the Comptech front bar and some Koni shocks, but the springs are stock. I feel the car is plenty driveable on sticky tires with the stock springs. I would definetely upgrade your brake pads though, I have been running Hawk Blues, but am gonna try the DTC70's next time out.

That said, if you are used to formula cars, its gonna feel pretty soft by comparison.

 

I tried the stock suspension with Michelin Pilot Sport Cups ..... I did not like it ..... Too much body roll , made the car sloppy , My opinion is that the car was more fun on the matched stock set up.

My next step was to do GC / Koni coilovers ..... I did 475# - 525# ..... It's not too bad for a weekend car ( especially with soft sidewall tires ) , but not sure I would want it for DD...... 1st track day in a couple of weeks.

Sounds like the GC / Koni setup might work for you with softer spring rates.

 

I ran Victoracers on the stock suspension and didn't have a problem. Sure, you'll get more body roll, but it's not 'unsafe'... just annoying (if you're hyper-sensitive to it). It never really bothered me, though, and the overall balance of the car seemed pretty good.

However, I run Tein RAs on my car now, and I see no reason that this couldn't be a daily driver suspension. Except on the roughest of roads, I find this to be only marginally more abusive than the stock setup.